


the importance of communication

by instantradio, solarflarestares



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Eli is a teacher, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Rating May Change, also printemps roommates, but its pretty PG right now, lily white roommates am i right lmao, nozomi runs an occult shop but its not as bad as it sounds, online classes usually suck but not today, slowish burn, umi is hopelessly gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2018-12-05 18:49:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11584011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/instantradio/pseuds/instantradio, https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarflarestares/pseuds/solarflarestares
Summary: Umi's first year of college was an overall mess. The last thing she thought would make her second year better was an online communications class.





	1. Week 1 - Umi

**Author's Note:**

> So my friend Sarah (instantradio) and I noticed the horrible drought of new kotoumi fic on AO3 and decided that Something Must Be Done. We came up with all the ideas together, I wrote, Sarah edited/beta'd/harshly criticized. This the first time actually posting fic for both of us, but we hope you enjoy it anyway.

Umi woke up with an anxiety-induced stomachache on her first day of her sophomore year of college. She knows that she should be used to college by now, but after the disaster that had been her freshman year, she was more nervous than ever. Despite how everyone saw her—level-headed, confident, and organized—she had been worrying about this day for months. She knew she would be fine, of course. After all, she _was_ logical, and she knew that her first day of class wasn’t a death sentence. However, that little nagging voice in the back of her head couldn’t seem to agree, and began to describe every worst-case scenario it could conjure from the second her alarm clock began to buzz.

Umi got up begrudgingly, ignoring the fleeting thought that she should drop out before she even tried again, and attempted to focus on the silver lining. Fortunately, she was very passionate about her major. Ever since she was a child, Umi was absolutely enamored with literature. She excelled in every subject, of course, as she put nothing but her best work in day in and day out. Be that as it may, she always knew that there was something different about the way she felt when she walked into her creative writing class. For once, she had found something that she not only passed with flying colors, but something that she genuinely loved, and she clung to it.

It was with the thought of delving into the class material that motivated her to push past the anxiety she could feel rising within her as she went about her day. As nervous as she was, she was relieved to find that she really was enjoying her classes. Most of her professors had gotten through the syllabus as quickly as possible in order to get started discussing the class material, which Umi was extremely grateful for. The best part of her day by far had been listening to Dr. Kunikida discuss their assignments for the semester, most of which included reading various books that Umi couldn’t wait to get into. She was walking back to her apartment on the edge of campus that evening when she had a horrifying realization—she had an assignment for her online class due that night at midnight. Groaning audibly and wishing she could just go home and pass out, she made her way to the library to get to work.

Pulling up a chair in the computer lab, Umi logged into her university account and pulled up her online class—a general education course: communications. In an attempt to complete a GenEd credit and avoid public speaking, of which she had a great fear, she had decided to opt for the online option. She made her way to the assignment and tried to force her exhausted brain to take in the professor’s post:

 

> _Hello, everyone, and welcome to Comms101! My name is Professor Ayase, and I’m so excited to have you all in class! As I know you all read in the syllabus, each week we will have a discussion board question that will require you to create a post and in turn comment on at least one post of one of your classmates! Even though this is an online class, class discussion is still important. After all, this is communications! Below I have posted your first discussion board assignment._
> 
> _Discussion 1: Introduce yourself! Share things such as your major, year, hobbies, talents, favorite food, etc. I would love to get to know each of you! Don’t forget to leave a comment on someone else’s introduction post as well—maybe you’ll make a new friend!_

 

Umi’s gut reaction to this was a wave of apprehension. She could handle assignments, but talking about herself was another thing entirely. She had a standard response for situations like these—a series of things that she felt comfortable sharing and had been proven to not embarrass her after the fact. However, she was still feeling confident from the success of her first day, so she decided to keep the momentum going and began typing her response next to her screen name. _After all,_ she thought, _it’s an online class, and I never have to actually meet any of them._ With the comforting thought of anonymity, she pushed on.

  

> **_SU115320_** _: My name is Sonoda Umi. This is my second year of school, and I am majoring in Literature and Creative Writing. I mostly write short stories, but I have tried my hand at poetry as well. I don’t have an excellent voice, but I love singing and writing lyrics. I enjoy calligraphy and archery, and have been practicing both since I was a child. My favorite food is manjuu, especially the kind sold at Homura Bakery about a block away from the science building._

 

She forced herself to hit the post button before she had time to talk herself out of it and began to browse the other posts. Most of them were only one or two sentences long, and she suddenly regretted writing so much. People often called her an over-achiever, so it wouldn’t surprise her to find out that she had over done her first assignment. Sighing to herself, she continued scrolling until one post stood out. It was the only one that was as long as her own, which she was genuinely thankful for. She was interested as to who would ever go to as much trouble as she did, especially for a general education course, and started to read.

 

> **_MK61047_** _: Hello, I’m Minami Kotori! This is my second year of college. I’m majoring in Fashion Design, which has always been a love of mine. I’ve been making my own clothes since I was a kid! I love to draw, but I’m not sure that I’m very good at it. I love drawing portraits and still arts, but what I enjoy the most is sketching my design ideas, which is why I picked up an art minor alongside my major._

 

Umi immediately decided that this was the post she wanted to reply to. Not only did Umi respect Minami Kotori for putting an effort into her post, but she also couldn’t help but see similarities between the two of them. Perhaps she was reaching to draw comparisons, but she noticed that they both seemed to share a strong passion for their respective majors. She was wondering what she should post in reply when she got a notification from the library’s computer. She was shocked to see that it was from exactly who she had been thinking about.

 

> _**MK61047** replied to your post: Nice to meet you, Sonoda-san! I will definitely stop by Homura and try out the manjuu. My roommate works there, and we both love that little place! They have the best cheesecake, so I’m sure the rest of their treats are good too! Also, I bet you have a wonderful singing voice. Most people who openly say that they don’t are usually just being modest. :) Good luck this semester!!_

 

To say that Umi was shocked would be an understatement. Truth be told, she hadn’t been very successful at making friends during her first year. Not to say that this was an instant offer of friendship, but Umi found it very encouraging that someone had taken the time to be so kind to her on her first day. Perhaps unconsciously, she felt a small wave of relief wash over her, and her response to Minami Kotori’s own post began to flow naturally.

 

> **_SU115320_** _RE: **MK161047** : Nice to meet you as well! I’m so glad to have encountered someone who also appreciates Homura Bakery. They truly do have the best sweets! Thank you very much for the compliment in your reply to my post, it was unbelievably kind of you. I’m sure the same principle applies in your case—your drawings are probably beautiful. Good luck to you too!_

-

Umi tried her best to silence her jingling keys as she let herself into her apartment. Judging by the light snoring coming from Rin’s room, she assumed that both her roommates were sound asleep. She kicked her shoes off once she made it to her room and began her usual night time routine. She tried to focus on methodically cleaning her face, but she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about her communications class. She knew she was being irrational, but she felt some strange connection to Minami-san. Perhaps Professor Ayase was right, and she may be able to make a new friend after all.

           


	2. Week 1 Part 2 - Umi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lily white are best friends, umi starts a job, and nozomi is nosy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're not really sure if anyone will want a second chapter, but here it is just in case. we have the third already written. my goal is to finish this story before classes start in August and my life gets too hectic to think about kotoumi. Anyway, please enjoy this (hot trash) fic. also, if anyone is actually reading, then thank you very much for doing so!!

The smell of white rice and grilled salmon wafting from underneath her bedroom door slowly pulled Umi from sleep. She rolled over and checked her alarm clock and was shocked to find that it was 5:00AM. The only one in the apartment who got up that early was Umi herself, and even she didn’t get up until 5:30. Curious as to what was going on, she made her way to their small kitchen, grabbing her robe along the way.

What she found shocked her even more than the fact that someone was up before her. Nozomi was rushing around the kitchen, preparing what looked like an elegant breakfast. Umi wasn’t surprised to find her roommate cooking—that was normal. Nozomi loved cooking, and usually made all of their meals. The truly shocking part was how early she had woken up. Nozomi was notorious for sleeping in. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for her to just be heading out to work when Umi was getting home for lunch.

“Nozomi?” Umi questioned.

Nozomi turned quickly to face Umi, her eyes as wide as saucers. “Umi-chan! You scared me! I didn’t expect you to wake up for another half an hour.”

“What are you doing up so early?” Umi yawned. “And why are you making such an extravagant breakfast?”

“It’s to celebrate you going back to school! The start of a new year filled with new opportunities to learn and grow.” Nozomi smiled.

“But Nozomi, the first day of classes was yesterday,” Umi said, amused.

Nozomi winked. “It’s never too late for delicious fish, Umi-chan.”

“You’re right, Nozomin,” Umi laughed. “Thank you very much.”

One of the few good things that had come out of Umi’s freshman year was meeting Nozomi Toujou. They had met in a calculus class that Umi had boldly signed up for her first semester. Umi had been sitting in the front row when Nozomi came into the classroom and chose the seat directly behind her. After a few minutes of silence, Nozomi broke the ice. Despite Umi’s shyness, she clicked with Nozomi instantly, and they had been close friends ever since.

They grew closer and closer over the course of the semester. When Nozomi had told Umi that she was quitting school and opening up her own store, Umi had been secretly heartbroken at the prospect of not being able to hang out with her friend. Umi didn’t fret for long, as Nozomi went on to tell her she had found an apartment and wanted Umi to room with her. Umi had asked her many times why Nozomi had decided to sit behind her and talk to her despite the classroom being virtually empty. Nozomi always responded with, “I could just tell that we would get along, Umi-chan.”

Her reminiscence was interrupted by her second roommate, Rin Hoshizora.

“Umi-chan, Nozomi-chaaannn…” Rin stretched and yawned simultaneously, throwing her arms above her head. “What are you doing? It’s so early.” She whined.

“I’m making breakfast for you and Umi. Happy Back-To-School-Week, Rin-chan!” Nozomi laughed.

“Really?!” exclaimed Rin, perking up immediately. “Nozomi-chan, you’re so good to us!” she said gratefully.

Umi had only met Rin at the end of last year, but she already felt like she had known her for as long as she had known Nozomi. Umi had been trudging across campus back to her dorm when she had bumped into a group of high schoolers on a tour. The guide had just given them permission to break apart as Umi was walking towards them. Rin had locked eyes with her, and immediately began waving erratically. Shocked, Umi had waved back and smiled. Rin had made a beeline directly to her, and immediately introduced herself. Despite the situation, Umi was grateful to have a distraction after the day she had had. When she agreed to grab a cup of coffee with Rin, she never expected to make such an amazing friend. When Rin decided to come to the school and Umi and Nozomi were in need of a third roommate, it seemed more natural than anything to invite Rin to live with them.

Nozomi quickly finished up their breakfast, and they discussed their plans for the semester and year as they ate.

“Rin-chan, how was your first day of class? Are you still decided about your major?” Nozomi asked.

“It was great! I know it’s only the first week, but I love sports, so sports medicine is just up my alley, nya!”

“Good! I’m so glad you found something you like,” Nozomi smiled. “What about you, Umi-chan? I already know how much you love your classes, but did anything interesting happen yet?”

“No,” Umi replied, trying to push last night’s communications assignment out of her mind. “Just the usual… syllabus, rules, that kind of stuff.”

“Sounds fun,” Nozomi laughed, although she looked at Umi a little questioningly. Nozomi could somehow always tell when something was on her mind. She just had that way about her, and Umi had never been able to successfully hide anything from her.

“How’s the shop?” Umi asked Nozomi, mostly because she genuinely cared but also because she wanted to change the subject before Nozomi had time to pounce. Nozomi ran a small store downtown where she sold things like tarot cards and sage sticks. She affectionately referred to it as a store of the occult, but the store’s official name was “Shirayuri.”

“Its wonderful! We’re growing a little bit more every day. I just decided on a tag line yesterday— _unleash your spiritual power_!” Nozomi smiled. “I think it will really help to draw in new customers.”

The rest of their breakfast passed as usual, half comfortable silence and half Nozomi trying to get Umi to crack and mention what, or rather who, was on her mind. Before she knew it, it was time for Umi to get ready for class. The day passed without much excitement. Umi was a little nervous, however, as she started her new job that evening. She had applied for a job through a program that paired college-aged kids with high school kids who were in need of tutoring. Umi’s preference was to tutor in writing, but when she applied the only subject that still needed a tutor was chemistry. She had gotten a good grade in her high school chemistry class, so she figured that she could handle it.

She arrived at the library and sat in the wing where she was set to meet the high schooler assigned to her. She checked the time on her phone and wasn’t surprised to find that she was about 20 minutes early, as she typically was for everything. She was just considering walking over to the library’s coffee shop to kill a few minutes when a red-headed girl walked up to her.

“Excuse me, but would you happen to be Sonoda Umi?” she asked cheerily.

“Yes, I am. Are you Takami Chika?” asked Umi, remembering the Post-It note her boss had scribbled the high schooler’s name onto.

“Yes! I’m sorry for being so early, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t keep you waiting.” Chika said.

“That’s no problem at all,” Umi smiled. “Would you like to go ahead and start?”

“Sure!”

The session went shockingly well. Umi soon found that Takami-san was a very receptive student who genuinely wanted to improve. In fact, Umi had enjoyed herself and was quite looking forward to their next appointment. She was relieved to know that she would be able to pay her part of the rent while also enjoying what she does.

After their tutoring session, Umi said goodbye to Takami-san and made her way home from the library. Once again, she found her mind wandering back to Minami-san. She was beginning to doubt her sanity. She really had no reason to be thinking about her so much, especially considering she had never even met her. _You’re being silly,_ she told herself. She bundled up in her jacket and resolved to get over this strange feeling as quickly as possible.


	3. Week 2 - Kotori

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Umi Sonoda: a walking meme. Unfortunately, my child is very unaware

Kotori walked into Homura Bakery in the hopes that both Honoka and manjuu would be present. She was in luck, because as soon as she made it inside she heard Honoka’s voice call from behind the counter.

“Kotori-chaaan! Good afternoon!” yelled Honoka in a tone far too loud for the quiet little bakery, but endearing nonetheless.

“Hi, Honoka-chan!”

“What can I get you today, perfectly ordinary customer?” Honoka asked, winking.

“Honoka-chan,” Kotori giggled. “You just yelled my name, I think it’s a little too late to fool anyone.”

“Whoops,” Honoka chuckled.

“Would you all happen have any manjuu today? I’ve heard it’s delicious.” said Kotori.

“We always have manjuu! It’s one of our best sellers,” said Honoka, as she went about getting a piece of manjuu from the display case under the counter. “Who recommended it to you? They must have great taste.”

“Actually, a girl who’s in my online class mentioned it.” Kotori wasn't really sure how to describe her classmate. Sonoda-san was… interesting. There was something fascinating about her that made Kotori want to know more. Kotori's thoughts were interrupted by her second roommate, Hanayo, walking through the bakery's door.

 “Kotori-chan, Honoka-chan! Good afternoon,” smiled Hanayo, her eyes scrunching. “How is your first week back?” she asked Kotori.

“It’s great! How is yours? Are you enjoying your culinary classes?”

“Yes! It’s like majoring in rice," Hanayo smiled. "Honoka-chan, where are your parents?” Hanayo frowned in confusion, looking around Honoka. Kotori hadn't noticed until Hanayo mentioned it, but Honoka's parents, the bakery's owners, were no where to be seen.

“They’re on vacation,” Honoka pouted. “They left Tsubasa-chan and I here alone for a whole week.”

“At least you’ll finally get some alone time with her,” Kotori winked, pulling out enough yen to pay for her manjuu.

“ _Kotori-chan!_ ” Honoka whisper-yelled, her eyes blown wide. “ _She’ll hear you!_ ”

Kotori couldn’t stop herself from giggling as she handed a blushing Honoka 250 yen. She said goodbye to her roommates and headed to work, nibbling on her manjuu while she walked. Sonoda-san was correct, it _was_ delicious. By the time she had arrived at the café she worked at, she was wishing she would have bought another piece.

Kotori’s evening passed uneventfully. The usual wave of customers flowed in and out at meal times, and Kotori was beginning to feel as if her shift would never end. She almost always enjoyed her time at the café, but some nights tended to drag on and on. Especially on nights that she was exceptionally tired, like tonight. When the clock finally struck 8, Kotori changed out of her uniform and booked it home, eager to crawl into bed.

Suddenly she was struck with the feeling that she was forgetting something. With a painful groan, she realized that she had a communications assignment due in a few hours. Kotori had to physically force herself to turn around and head in the direction of the library’s computer lab.

 

 

 

-

 

 

> **Discussion 2: This week, I’d like you each to talk about your own life and how it is affected by communication. From what you’ve experienced, what is the most effective form of communication? When trying to get a point across, do you to text, talk on the phone, or speak face to face?**
> 
> **_MK161047:_** I love texting! I think emoticons can add a lot to a conversation. For example, when I text my roommates, we like to use this emoticon a lot when we think something is cute: ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ. My friends like to use this one when they’re talking to me, because it reminds them of me: (•ө•)♡. In my experience, emoticons add character and feeling to texts, and is perfect for close friends to chat! As much as I like it, though, it’s not always effective when you need to have a serious conversation, especially with someone you may not know as well who doesn’t know your texting style.

Satisfied with her post, Kotori hit submit and decided to take a quick break before she started on her comment post. She was idling scrolling through her phone when she heard a notification sound ring from the computer and into the quiet that the library always strove so hard to maintain. She rushed to mute the sound before the blush on her cheeks became too noticeable and checked her notifications.

> **_SU115320_** ** _RE: MK161047_** : That’s a very interesting way to look at texting. I've never thought about it that way! Maybe if I start using cute emoticons, I may come across better through text. I think I will try it. Thank you for the new perspective, Minami-san! (◕‿◕)

Kotori forced herself to stifle her giggles so as not to disturb the rest of the library’s patrons. If Kotori ever had a legitimate conversation with Sonoda Umi, she would have to tell her how funny she was. She decided to check out Sonoda-san’s post an leave a comment on it.

> **_SU115320_** : I prefer face-to-face conversation. I very often have the problem of being misunderstood when talking over text. For example, one time I texted my roommate Rin and asked her to check the apartment and make sure our other roommate had blown out all her candles. My phone corrected candles to “canned goods”, and needless to say, I received a very confused text from Rin.
> 
> **_MK161047_** ** _RE: SU115320_** : That’s hilarious! I’m trying not to laugh out loud in the library and make a scene! I forgot to mention the pains of autocorrect in my own post. It can definitely be annoying. Also, I think you come across great over text! You seem really nice and funny! Although, I always support the use of emoticons. :)

Kotori was still giggling about the exchange when she walked through her apartment’s door. In fact, she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Hanayo sitting on the couch reading until she spoke up.

“Kotori-chan,” Hanayo smiled, laughing a little at Kotori’s giggles. “What are you laughing at? It must have been good!”

“It was! This girl on my class posted something hilarious in our online discussion board. I don’t think she meant it to be funny, but that made it even better.” Kotori said, still laughing a little.

“She sounds fun! You should hang out with her sometime, it seems like you all would get along!” smiled Hanayo.

Kotori frowned upon the realization that she didn’t actually know all that much about Sonoda-san. Hanayo was right thought—from their interactions so far, it seems to Kotori like they _would_ get along really well. If she were being honest with herself, it made her strangely sad that she had no real way to get in touch with Sonoda Umi. Kotori faked a small smile and said goodnight to Hanayo, retreating to her room. She wasn’t sure why the fact that she knew so little about Sonoda-san seemed to be eating away at her. _I’m just tired_ , she thought. _It’s been a long day_. She convinced herself that the strange feeling was stemming from her lack of sleep and crawled into bed.


	4. Week 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honoka is the loud friend everyone loves, Hanayo meets someone interesting, & kotoumi continues to thrive

Kotori could hear Honoka’s voice before she even put her key in the doorknob. She walked in the door to find Honoka running through the house at full speed, with Kotori’s golden retriever, Orion, right behind her. She couldn’t help but laugh at her roommate’s shock and slight embarrassment when she noticed Kotori had caught her.

“Kotori-chan?! What are you doing home in the middle of the day?”

“I decided to come home for lunch,” Kotori said, unable to keep from smirking. “What are _you_ doing home in the middle of the day?”

“Well… I came home for lunch, too, and Orion looked like he needed some exercise, and I just ate lunch, so I did too, and I just figured we should… run it off together?” she finished in a questioning tone.

“I’m sure he loved it,” Kotori smiled, her eyes scrunching. She bent down to pet Orion as he made his way over to her by the front door. “Didn’t you buddy? You love aunt Honoka-chan, don’t you?” she asked in her usual baby voice that she reserved for him.

“Oh, Kotori-chan, I made miso and pork cutlets for myself. The leftovers are in the fridge if you’d like some!” Honoka said, smiling.

“Thank you, Honoka-chan. That sounds delicious!”

Kotori made her way to the kitchen to find Honoka’s lunch already spread out on the table, and Hanayo digging into to a bowl of soup.

“Kotori-chan! Are you home for lunch too? We could have all eaten together.” She said around her spoon.

Kotori and Hanayo chatted as they ate together. Soon enough, Honoka walked into the kitchen for a glass of water to find a very guilty looking Hanayo. She reassured Hanayo that she was always welcome to anything Honoka made, and joined them at the table while they finished up.

“So, Hanayo-chan, have you, you know… _met_ anyone?” Honoka asked while trying to look slick.

Hanayo blushed immediately. Kotori figured that was a yes.

“Well…” Hanayo started, but suddenly stopped when she realized she had Honoka’s full attention. Honoka was staring at her, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, almost as if Hanayo were about to start spouting the meaning to life.

Hanayo shot a worried look at Kotori but pushed through with the comforting smile her roommate—the one that _didn’t_ look like she was about to go down the hill of a rollercoaster—sent her.

“I met someone in the library last week. She was really nice and… cute,” Hanayo smiled wide as her cheeks blushed a bright crimson. “She said she was a sports medicine major. I’ve been seeing her a lot in the library because we study in the same spot. We’ve been talking a lot and I… really like her, I think.”

Honoka’s enthusiastic squeal could have woke the dead.

 

-

            Lunch with her roommates had brightened Kotori’s day so much that the rest of the day seemed to flow smoothly. She knew she had work to do when she got home, but her good mood persisted. She walked into her apartment, greeted her roommates, and gave Orion his nightly treats. She decided to get a head start on her work and went straight to her room to pull out her laptop and check that week’s assignment for her communications class.

**Discussion 3 & 4: This week we will have our first group project! I have paired you in groups of two. I would like each of you to create a short post about the person you have been paired with. I know you each introduced yourself at the beginning of the semester, but this should be a little more in depth. This assignment will require you to exchange your email/phone number with your partner and will be due next week. The goal of this project is to teach you the value of face-to-face conversation! Because of this, you _must_ complete this assignment via text or email. Here are a few things that you are required to list about your partner, but feel free to go beyond!**

  * **Full name**
  * **Hometown**
  * **Why they chose their major (if they don’t have one, what are they leaning towards?)**
  * **Where do they see themselves in 30 years?**



 

Kotori scrolled down to the list of pairs. The very first pair was… Minami Kotori/Sonoda Umi. _Maybe I can finally get to know her,_ Kotori thought. After all, she did think that they would get along well. Even Hanayo said so, and she didn’t even know about half of their interactions. Kotori decided not to waste any time and pulled up the email assigned to her by the university. She searched the directory for Sonoda-san and sent her an email.

 

 

-

            Umi was sitting at her and Chika’s usual meeting place in the library. This time, she was _extremely_ early, so she decided to pull out her laptop and get started on the night’s work while she waited. She pulled open her university’s account and noticed she had an email notification. Umi figured it was just another reminder about an upcoming paper, and sighed. When she noticed who it was from, she was both shocked and pleasantly surprised.

 

_Sonoda-san,_

_This is Minami Kotori from our online communications class. I’m not sure if you’ve checked the discussion board today, but we have a project due next week and we were paired together! If you want to work on the assignment over email, that’s fine. But if it would be easier for you to have my number, then I’ll leave that here too! Maybe if we do it over text you can work on using emoticons!_

_Sincerely,_

_Kotori Minami_

_687-427-8278_

 

            Umi sat and stared at her screen in disbelief for what felt like half an hour. It was very rare that she got an email that wasn’t from a professor, and it was even rarer that she got an email from someone she cared about. _Do I care about Minami-san?_ Umi thought to herself. She knew she cared for her more than she did her other classmates. Perhaps it was the fact that she had only managed to make two friends during her entire first year at school, but she really wanted to talk to Minami-san more. She couldn’t shake the feeling that if they got along as well as they had been over nothing more than classroom discussion, then they would most likely make good friends. She read Professor Ayase’s post and decided to go ahead and contact Minami-san.

 

 **Umi Sonoda** : Hello, this is Sonoda Umi.  I hope you don’t mind me texting you right away. I got your email and it did seem a lot easier. Also, I do need emoticon practice.

           

            Umi didn’t know why she was nervous. She could feel a small pool of anxiety rising in her stomach and blamed it on the fact that she wasn’t very good at making friends or talking to new people. However, her usual problems didn’t seem to apply to Minami-san. Suddenly, Umi realized that they had now been talking back and forth for almost three weeks, and that it hadn’t felt unnatural to her in the slightest. Before she had time to think about it too much longer, her phone buzzed.

 

 **Kotori Minami** : Hi, Sonoda-san! I don’t mind at all. My phone is always on so you can text me anytime! Were you wanting to go ahead and start on the project?

 **Umi Sonoda** : I would love to, but I’m actually about to start work in half an hour.

 **Kotori Minami** : That’s fine! I’m free most of the time unless I’m at work too, so just let me know :)

 

Umi was about to reply when her phone buzzed a second time.

 

 **Kotori Minami:** I’m sorry if this is weird of me to ask, but where do you work? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, I was just curious.

 **Umi Sonoda** : Don’t apologize! It’s not weird at all. I’m tutoring a high school student in chemistry. I actually just started a few weeks ago.

 **Kotori Minami** : That sounds perfect for you!

 **Kotori Minami** : From what I know about you, I mean. You seem very intelligent!

 

Umi could feel the blush staining her cheeks. She had been told she was smart before, but mostly by her parents. She did well in all her classes, so she knew she wasn’t lacking, but it’s reassuring to hear sometimes. There was something about Minami-san, someone who didn’t know her very well, telling her that she thought she was intelligent that held more ground. Before Umi could recover long enough to reply, she spotted Takami-san out of the corner of her eye chatting to a girl who looked to be about her age. Umi slammed her laptop shut and threw her phone into her backpack, trying to compose herself as Takami-san made her way over to her.

“Bye, You-chan!” she said to the other girl as she made her way to Umi.

“Hi, Sonoda-san. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.” She said as she sat down across from Umi.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t been.” Umi said as she tried to smile. She could still feel the blush spreading across her face.

“Sonoda-san? What’s wrong?” Chika asked, concerned. “Do you have a fever?”

“W-what?” Umi stuttered, her hand flying to her cheek. “No, I’m fine.” She put on a fake smile.

“Let’s get started!”

 

 

 

 

-

 

Umi hung her bag on the hook in the hallway as she removed her shoes and placed them in their usual home by the front door. She made her way to her bedroom and at her desk, staring at her phone. Umi wasn’t used to anyone being so nice to her—she was astounded that someone thought so highly of her. _Maybe Minami-san is just nice to everyone,_ she thought. However, Minami-san had only ever replied to Umi’s discussion board posts. Beyond that, she had been so nice to Umi in all her replies. _Surely that’s not normal online class etiquette?_ Umi had never been treated so kindly by a classmate—except for Nozomi, of course. Umi thought it best to not look the gift horse of friendship in the mouth, and promptly responded to her classmate.

 

 **Umi Sonoda** : I’m very sorry for taking so long to respond. The girl I tutor arrived early. Thank you so much for all your kind words, Minami-san. It truly means a lot to me. I am glad Professor Ayase partnered us together.

 

Umi ran through her usual night time routine. She dressed in her pajamas and climbed into bed. She was about to set her phone’s alarm to wake her up for class the next morning when a banner appeared on the top of her screen.

 

 **Kotori Minami** : Don’t worry, it’s okay! You don’t have to thank me for that, I really mean it. I’m glad we’re partners too! Also, you can call me Kotori!

 **Umi Sonoda** : Okay, I will. Call me Umi. :)

 **Kotori Minami** : Yay!! Goodnight, Umi-chan.

 

Umi was still smiling as she drifted off to sleep.


	5. Week 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> easy, breezy, beautiful lesbians™

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> super sorry for the wait on this chapter. i had a bad case of writer's block and we've both been a little busy. also, i have like 2 things to say but i promise i'll make it fast.  
> i'm sorry if updates get slower for a while. my semester is about to start in a week or 2 and i'm taking like 7 classes so unfortunately i probably won't have much time to work on the fic during the week. i'll try to write on the weekends and hopefully will be able to upload once a week, although i apologize in advance if i miss a week here and there.  
> okay, and the second thing is that i've written a few kotoumi oneshots in between writing this when i'm in writers block mode. i've thought about uploading them here but i'm not sure if anyone would be all that interested because they're super unedited and like 15 minute fics. anyway, just thought i would throw that out there. okay, sorry, i'm done now!

 

Kotori was walking home from work when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

**Umi Sonoda** : Minami-san, do you have to work tonight? I was hoping to get started on our project.

**Kotori Minami** : Umi-chan, call me Kotori!! You sound so formal, hehe. I just got off actually. Give me a few minutes to get home and I would love to!

**Umi Sonoda** : I apologize, Minami-san. I have a habit of being too formal.

**Umi Sonoda** : ….*Kotori. I’m sorry.

**Kotori Minami** : :)

 

 

-

 

Kotori nearly bumped into Honoka as she made her way through their apartment’s door.

“oof!”

Honoka was wearing a beautiful dress and her hair was down and curly. However, she was also still wearing her pink polka dot pajama pants underneath her dress and had a tooth brush hanging out of her mouth.

“Sorry! What are you doing in front of the door?” Kotori asked.

“I came over here to look for my dress shoes,” Honoka said around her toothbrush. “I’m running super late.”

“You look nice,” Kotori smiled. “What are you late for?”

“A date.” Honoka said while ignoring the blush spreading across her face.

“ooooooh,” Kotori said in a singsong voice. “Is it with Tsubasa-san?”

“No!!” Honoka said, avoiding eye contact while she ran her toothbrush over her teeth. Kotori simply stared at her skeptically.

“Okay, yes!” Honoka cracked. “She’s picking me up in half an hour and I’m a mess! I don’t even have any makeup on yet!” To Kotori’s surprise, Honoka actually looked to be on the verge of tears.

“Honoka-chan, why don’t you let me do your makeup for you? I promise I’ll make it quick and you’ll look like we spent 3 hours on it.” Kotori said sweetly.

“Really?” Honoka asked, wide-eyed. “You’d do that for me?”

“Of course! Finish brushing your teeth and meet me in my room!” Kotori smiled as she started taking off her shoes.

Honoka saluted and ran towards the bathroom.

 

 

-

 

**Kotori Minami** : I’m so sorry, Umi-chan! I got home and my roommate was running late for her date so I offered to do her makeup. She was really nervous so I wanted to make her feel better. Is it too late for us to work on the project?

**Umi Sonoda** : You don’t have to apologize for that! That’s really nice of you, and I hope it goes well for her. We can work on it for as long as you want. I’m free for the rest of the night.

**Kotori Minami** : Thank you, I hope she has fun. I think she will. This has been coming for a while, if I’m being honest. She’s liked this girl for a long time, and it's obvious that she likes her back. She’s nervous, but I know it’ll go well!

**Umi Sonoda** : That sounds so sweet, it seems like they’ll have a lot of fun together if they’ve both been pining away. My roommate, Rin, is in a similar situation. I think I mentioned her in one of my discussion board posts. She really likes this girl she met but she’s scared to ask her on a date. I feel like a mother bird trying to push her baby out of the nest, but it’s so clear that she likes her a lot.

**Umi Sonoda** : Sorry! I didn’t mean to ramble about my life. We should get started.

**Kotori Minami** : Don’t apologize! I don’t mind. I like talking to you! We should get started though. But we can always talk about whatever when we’re done! :)

 

 

-

 

Umi had expected to be far more nervous. She had never been very good with conversation, especially with people she didn’t know well, but there was something different about talking to Kotori. Usually she was awkward when she had to do a group project, and it was common practice for her to dread it. For the first time in her life, however, she was really enjoying participating in a group project.

**Kotori Minami** : I already know your full name, so I guess I’ll start by asking you where you’re from? And do you have any brothers and sisters? I think that might be important to your introduction.

**Umi Sonoda** : I’m from Akihabara! I have one older sister. What about you?

**Kotori Minami** : I’m an only child! That’s so weird, I’m from Akihabara too! I wonder if we’ve ever bumped into each other.

 

Umi’s interactions with Kotori seemed to be getting stranger and stranger. Not only was Umi not nervous when talking to her, but they’re also from the same place. _How is it possible for us to meet through an online class but not while walking down the street?_ Perhaps she was being dramatic, but she was beginning to think that her and Kotori meeting was meant to happen. It seemed so strange to her how everything just kept falling into place.

 

**Umi Sonoda** : That’s such odd coincidence. What school did you go to?

**Kotori Minami** : Otonokizaka! My mom’s been the principal there for years! Where did you go??

**Umi Sonoda** : I went to UTX Academy.

**Kotori Minami** : Do you know Tsubasa Kira?? :o

**Kotori Minami** : Wait, that was silly. That’s a huge school, I don’t know why I’d think that you know her.

**Umi Sonoda** : I do know her! She graduated a year before me. We were never friends or anything, though. I just knew of her because she was the student council president for a while, and I’ve seen her working at Homura.

**Kotori Minami** : This is sooo weird! That’s who my roommate went on a date with tonight!! I can’t believe we’re even from the same place, let alone that we know the same people.

**Umi Sonoda** : It really is strange. I would say that I’m surprised we never crossed paths in Akihabara, but I’m not really the friend-making type.

**Kotori Minami** : Awww, Umi-chan, why not? I think you’re a great friend! Everyone probably wants to talk to you, I know I do!!

 

Umi felt herself blush because of Kotori for what felt like the hundredth time since she’d known her. _F-friend??_ she thought to herself. _And she wants to talk to me???_  Umi didn’t know why she was so shocked. Once she thought about it, she really did consider Kotori her friend, and she definitely wanted to talk to her, too. _Is that crazy? We’ve never even met in person…_ Even so, it still felt like Umi had known her for longer than she had. It was similar to how her friendship with Nozomi had started, but there was something different about Kotori. She didn’t quite know what it was, but she hoped that they would stay in contact long enough for her to figure it out. One thing Umi did know, however, was that Kotori brightened her day considerably every time they spoke.

**Umi Sonoda** : It’s not for lack of wanting friends, I’m just very… quiet. Shy, to be honest. It can be difficult for me to talk to people long enough for them call me their friend. Thank you, Kotori. I consider you my friend, too. You’re far too nice to me. I appreciate it, though.

**Kotori Minami** : You can never be too nice, Umi-chan! I’m just being honest :) For what it’s worth, I don’t think you have anything to be shy about! I understand, though. It can definitely be hard to make friends. I only have a few close friends, myself.

**Umi Sonoda** : There’s nothing wrong with that. I only have two friends—just my roommates. #relatable

**Umi Sonoda** : Did I use that correctly? I’m sorry, I’ve been researching internet slang to use alongside emoticons.

 

Umi wasn’t sure why Kotori thought she was so funny, but she was grateful for it nonetheless.

 

 

-

 

Umi could hardly ignore Nozomi’s stare from across the breakfast table. One of the things she loved most about Nozomi was how well she knew her and could judge her emotions, but she had to admit that it was a pain at times. She looked up from her plate with a yawn to see Nozomi staring at her with a smirk plastered across her face. Usually, Umi would be happy that they had the time to eat breakfast together, but this time she couldn’t wait to get out of the apartment and away from Nozomi’s knowing gaze.

“Umi-chaaann,” she said in a singsong voice that somehow sounded menacing to Umi’s ears. “Why are you so tired this morning? You have the strictest sleeping schedule of anyone I’ve ever met. And why do you keep smiling at your eggs? Did they say something funny?”

Umi sighed and forced the blush back into her skin through sheer willpower.

“I was just up late last night studying, and... uhm…” Umi stumbled over her words, struggling to not reveal the real reason she was so tired and happy. How could she tell Nozomi that she had stayed up half the night talking to a girl she met online about nothing in particular? She couldn’t even say that she had been working on a group project, because they hadn’t gotten much done. They talked about everything except what they were supposed to. It came so naturally that they couldn’t seem to help it, and had gotten off track every time they tried to get to work.

While Umi was trying to come up with a way to deflect Nozomi, her saving grace walked through the kitchen door in the form of Rin. Umi breathed a sigh of relief as Rin began to sleepily enter the conversation. Umi quickly finished her eggs and avoided eye contact with Nozomi as she told them goodbye.

 

Umi’s day was the same as always, except for the distraction in the back of her mind. She couldn’t stop thinking about Kotori and the fact that they had talked for hours the night before. Umi couldn’t remember ever talking to anyone that long. What was even stranger to her was that they had never once run out of things to talk about, and there was never a time that Umi had felt awkward or uncomfortable.

 

Kotori was breaking every norm in Umi’s life, and she couldn’t bring herself to be upset about it.


	6. Week 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kotori and umi finish their project, honoka spills the truth tea, and i love hanayo with my entire heart and soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello friends. we are SO SORRY for literally taking the entire semester off this fic. I take full responsibility. my class schedule was so insane that i had exams every week. but we're back for winter break and I could not be happier to be cracking open a cold one with these girlz. if you're still reading, thank you, i love you, you have the patience of a saint <3

The smell of fresh baked bread and Japanese confectionery washed over Kotori as she walked through the door of Homura. She could hear Honoka talking in the back room and decided to go ahead and take a seat at her favorite table in the corner. She often came to Homura’s during her lunchbreak to do work on her laptop. She thought today may be a good day to get some extra work time in, as her project with Umi was due that night. She made herself comfortable, pulled up the discussion board for their class, and tried to focus on the task at hand.

If she were being honest, she was amazed that they had even managed to finish their project. Every time they tried to work on it, they would get off topic and accidentally spend an hour and a half talking about everything and nothing. That being said, Kotori really didn’t mind. Just like she suspected, they got along really well. She couldn’t deny how much she enjoyed talking to Umi. There was something very endearing about her that Kotori couldn’t put her finger on. Perhaps it was her naivety despite her obvious intelligence, or how she’s too humble for her own good. Kotori felt drawn to her, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it and why that may be. She was surprised by a hand moving slowly across her field of vision. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Honoka standing beside her.

“Kotori-chan? You’ve been staring off into space for like 5 minutes,” Honoka said as she laid a plate down beside Kotori’s laptop. “I brought you a sandwich, on the house! You should stop working so hard and eat.” Honoka smiled, sitting down across from Kotori and folding her arms on the table in front of her.

Kotori cleared her throat. “Thank you, Honoka-chan. That’s really sweet of you.” She smiled and picked up the sandwich to dig in as she saw Honoka’s insistent stare.

“What’s wrong? You seem distracted.” Honoka asked in concerned. Honoka seemed spacey to a lot of people, but she was actually very intelligent, especially when it came to discerning Kotori’s feelings. Kotori was very grateful for this, because it meant that Honoka usually knew when she needed to talk.

“I’m not really sure,” said Kotori, putting her sandwich down. “I’ve been talking to a girl in my online class because we had a project together. We’ve been texting a lot this week. Not about our project, but we’ve just been... talking. And I keep thinking about her,” Kotori admitted, absently picking at the crust on her sandwich. “There’s something different about Umi-chan, and I don’t know what it is."

“Kotori-chan, you have a crush.” Honoka said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“A crush?” Kotori looked up to meet Honoka’s eyes in confusion. “But we’ve only ever talked over text." 

“That doesn’t matter,” Honoka said, still confused as to why Kotori didn’t understand. “The fact that you can’t stop thinking about her and you haven’t even met her yet says everything. When you have a connection with someone, you just do. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense.”

When she thought about it that way, it was obvious. She liked Umi. She’d wanted to be friends with her since the first time they talked on the discussion board, and it had only grown from there. _Why else would I spend hours talking to her_? Kotori thought. Over the course of the week, she had told Umi things she had never told anyone—feelings she had never voiced, her fears. _Of course, I have a crush on her_.

“What do I do about it?” Kotori asked, suddenly feeling overwhelmed and defeated. “Our project is due tonight. I don’t have an excuse to talk to her anymore.”

“You don’t need one. You’ve mentioned her a few times this week, right? Don’t you two talk a lot? And about, like… everything?”

“Yeah, we do.” Kotori couldn’t help the small smile from forming on her face.

“Then you don’t need an excuse,” Honoka smiled. “Just talk to her like you have been all along. From the sounds of it, you two didn’t talk about school much anyway.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Kotori smiled. “Thank you, Honoka-chan. You always know what to say.”

Before Honoka could respond, Hanayo busted through the bakery’s door. The look on her face was a strange mix of excited and terrified. She rushed towards Kotori and Honoka and pulled up the chair between them. For a second, the three of them just stared at each other as Hanayo tried to catch her breath.

“Can I…” Hanayo panted. “can I talk to you guys?”

“Of course,” Kotori said. She was beginning to get concerned.

“The girl I’ve been talking to in the library asked me on a date. Her name is Hoshizora Rin.” she said, blushing immediately and looking down at the floor.

“ _Yaaayyy_!” Honoka practically screeched. “I’m so happy for you, Hanayo-chan.” She said as she leaned around the table to throw her arms around Hanayo’s shoulders.

 _Rin_? Kotori thought to herself. _Isn’t that the name of the roommate Umi-chan had mentioned liking a girl_? Kotori knew, of course, that there was no way her roommate was about to go on a date with Umi’s roommate. She forced the thought of double dates out of her mind and turned to Hanayo.

“Hanayo-chan, that’s so great!! When’s your date?” she asked.

“It’s tomorrow night,” she smiled, eyes scrunching. “We’re going to get dinner.”

“Honoka! It’s not time for your break yet!” Honoka’s mother yelled from behind the counter. “Oh, hello Kotori-chan! Hanayo-chan! It’s nice to see you girls!” She said with a smile as she noticed the two other girls.

Hanayo giggled as Honoka pouted. “I have to get going anyway, I have class in a few minutes. I was just so excited that I wanted to tell you all. I’ll see you at home!” she said as she got up and left the bakery with an obvious bounce in her step.

Honoka sighed and began to get up. “Don’t forget to eat your sandwich, Kotori-chan. You need all the energy you can so you can stay up all night and talk to your class friend.” she winked and turned to walk away.

“Thank you, Honoka-chan,” Kotori said while refusing to acknowledge the light blush on her cheeks.

She turned back to her computer and tried to figure out what she was going to say about Umi Sonoda. She knew she was going to list what was required, but it seemed like she knew Umi so much better now that she could write a novel. She was contemplating where to start when she noticed there was a new post on the board.

> _**SU115320**_ : Minami Kotori was born on September 12th. She is an only child from Akihabara, Tokyo. She is majoring in fashion design with a minor in art. She chose fashion design as her major because she’s been passionate about bringing her creative visions to life since she was a young child. She has been making her own clothes and sewing since she was old enough to pick up the needle. She decided on an art minor because she is a very talented artist and being able to sketch her ideas is an excellent skill to have when creating fashion items.  
>  In 30 years, Kotori sees herself as a successful fashion designer with a close-knit family. Kotori seems like a very intelligent and capable person, and I have no doubt that she will succeed at every goal she sets for herself.

Kotori blushed for what felt like the hundredth time since she walked into Homura. Umi was so blunt, and Kotori found it endlessly endearing. In this case, Umi’s straightforwardness had been extremely flattering. From what little Kotori knew about Umi, she wasn’t one to beat around the bush or sugarcoat things when it came to what she thought. For Umi to so plainly state that she had such a high opinion of Kotori was one of the best compliments Kotori had ever received. She tried to ignore how flustered she was as she began to type out her own post.

> _**MK161047**_ : Sonoda Umi is from Akihabara, Tokyo, and her birthday is on March 15th. She has one older sister. Her major is in literature and creative writing because she has loved writing since she was a young girl. She’s written stories her whole life, and that it what she’s most passionate about. She is a very talented author and poet, and is very well-spoken on the page.  
>  As an adult, Umi-chan hopes to become a professional author. She wants a simple and quiet life filled with close friends and family. She has been extremely successful so far, and I know she’ll get there one day!

Kotori found that there was so much more she could say about Umi, but she didn’t want to give herself away, not to their class but especially not to Umi herself. Even though nothing would make her happier than if Umi were to return her feelings, she felt a desperate need to at the very least continue talking to her. Beyond what she now recognized as a crush, she couldn’t deny that there was something special about Umi that she didn’t want to lose.


	7. Week 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ♪♫ Call me, my love, you can call me any gay or night ♪♫

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you all already know what the fuck is goin on sorry i've been gone all semester AGAIN but guess what..... it's summer break now ladies and the boys are back in town :~)

“ _Sonoda-san?_ ”

  
Chika’s voice barely cut through Umi’s daydream. Since she had turned in her project with Kotori, she had been replaying Kotori’s part in her mind. At this point, she was sure she had it memorized. She couldn’t believe how highly Kotori thought of her, especially considering they had never met in person. Umi couldn’t remember the last time she had had someone she felt so… close too. The only person that came to her mind was Nozomi, but Kotori was different. She did consider Kotori her friend, of course, but there was something in her gut that told her she was more than that.

“ _Sonoda-san?? Are you alright?_ ”

She knew her feelings for Kotori were stronger than anything she had experienced from the conversation they had the first night their project was finished. Umi had read Kotori’s post and been extremely flattered until she realized that, because the project was done, she technically had no reason to continue talking to Kotori. This realization sent panic coursing through her, and in a moment of desperation and bravery she texted Kotori.

  
**Umi Sonoda** : I want to talk to you, Kotori.

 **Umi Sonoda** : Not about anything specific, just… in general, I mean.

 **Umi Sonoda** : Only if you want to, of course.

  
Umi had sent a string of messages on impulse, and she regretted it as soon as she read them back to herself. Still panicking after Kotori hadn’t replied in the 5 seconds after she had sent the texts, she continued typing.

  
**Umi Sonoda** : I’m sorry, Kotori.

 **Umi Sonoda** : That was stupid of me to assume. I know that there’s no reason for me to bother you now that our project is done. I’ll leave you alone now. I wish you luck in your classes and your career in fashion.

  
Umi had, embarrassingly enough, felt tears pressing at the back of her eyes when she felt her phone vibrate in her hand.

  
**Kotori Minami** : Umi-chan?!?! Are you okay?? Don’t go!! Of course I want to keep talking to you, silly. You never bother me, you know that!!

  
Umi couldn’t believe it at first, but when she read the conversation back, she realized that she had made a very large assumption. Embarrassed, she tried to think of how to respond, but Kotori’s name popped up on her screen again.

  
**Kotori Minami** : Umi, are you there?

 **Incoming Call** … **Kotori Minami**

  
Umi felt her heart rise in her throat. She was horrible at talking on the phone, but it was Kotori. In a mix of fear and excitement, she brought the phone to her ear.

“H-hello?” Umi stuttered.

“Umi-chan?? Are you alright??” said a panicked voice.

“Yes, I’m fine, I’m sorry.” Umi said apologetically.

“You don’t have to apologize! I was just worried about you, you sounded really upset. I’m sorry for calling you all of a sudden, I was just scared.”

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Kotori. I promise I’m okay. And you don’t have to apologize either. It’s nice to finally hear your voice.” Umi said as she felt the blush rise in her cheeks. She couldn’t help but to think that Kotori’s voice was… well, cute.

“It’s nice to hear yours too, Umi-chan,” Kotori said, smiling. “You sound so mature!” she giggled.

 

Umi blushed even more and continued blushing for almost the entirety of their two-hour long conversation. Even while speaking on the phone, one of Umi’s biggest sources of anxiety, Kotori still somehow managed to make her feel completely at peace. Since that night, Kotori and Umi had talked every day, if not on the phone then at least through text. Kotori had been on Umi’s mind all week. She never thought that she would find someone that she felt as close to as she did Kotori, and the more she realized that she liked Kotori as more than a friend, the more thoughts of her classmate distracted her.

  
“ _SONODA-SAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT_??” Chika yelled. At this point, she was shaking Umi by the shoulders, worry setting in on her face.

  
“Yes! Sorry, I’m so sorry,” Umi said, flustered. She quickly tried to regain her bearings so that they could resume the tutoring session.

“What’s wrong? You seem like you’re thinking really hard about something.” Chika said kindly.

“I’m okay, but thank you for asking, Takami-san.” Umi smiled. “Shall we get back to it?”

“Yeah,” Chika said with a small smile. “You know, Sonoda-san, I know you’re just my tutor, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here for you! And you can call me Chika!” Chika exclaimed as the kind smile on her face spread.

“Thank you, Chika,” Umi said, genuinely touched. From the time she had spent with Chika, she really did like her, and she found that they got along pretty well, even when they weren’t talking about chemistry.

“The same goes for you, I’m always here,” Umi smiled. “Call me Umi.”

-

Kotori stared out at the sea of fabrics in front of her. She felt as if she had been in the craft store for hours searching for the perfect pattern to use on the dress she was sewing for her midterm project, but she couldn’t seem to focus. For the last week, Kotori had not gone a day without talking to Umi, and she was the happiest she had been in a long time. So, instead of focusing on the task at hand, she was daydreaming about what it would be like to meet Umi. Kotori was lost in thought when she heard a voice from across the clearance bin of fabric.

“Excuse me, but are you in Ms. Yuuki’s class?”

Startled, Kotori looked up but calmed instantly when she was met with a kind face. She recognized this girl—they sat in the same row in her intermediate sewing class.

“Yes, I am! You sit near me, right? I’m Kotori! Nice to meet you,” Kotori said, smiling kindly at the girl.

“Cool, I thought I recognized you! My name is You. Nice to meet you too,” The girl replied. “So, are you shopping for the midterm project too?”

“Yeah, I’m trying, anyway” Kotori said, sighing lightly. “I can’t find the right fabric for the dress I’m planning on making.”

“Well, I just found the last of my fabrics, maybe I could help! What kind of material are you looking for?”

“You’d really do that? That’s so sweet of you!” Kotori said gratefully. “I’m looking for a soft pink satin."

“I’m on it, yousoro!” said You cheerily as she disappeared down a nearby aisle of the store.

This confused Kotori, but she also thought that it was endearing in a strange way. Smiling to herself, she continued to dig through the fabric in front of her, trying desperately to focus this time around. Maybe now that she had some help she would be able to make some headway on her project.

 _Don’t think about Umi right now!,_ she told herself sternly. _And don’t think about what she may look like._  
_And definitely don’t think about what she may look like in the dress you’re making…_


End file.
